Iniesta and Xavi have been, as mentioned, one of the greatest ever midfield pairings, and it's almost impossible to separate the two. Iniesta just narrowly gets the nod, however, because he has a tiny bit more ability, and has produced some unforgettable moments in some enormous games. There has arguably not been a more naturally gifted midfielder than Iniesta since Zidane, and his creativity on the ball, unbelievable dribbling and work-rate for the team are all magnificent. Iniesta was very much seen as Guardiola and Xavi's long-term replacements for Barcelona when he was in the youth team, with the current Bayern Munich boss once famously saying to Xavi:
"You're going to retire me. This lad is going to retire us all."
He had to bide his time a little, however, much like his brilliant midfield partner did. The likes of Ronaldinho and Deco were often the preferred options under Frank Rijkaard during the mid 2000s, and Iniesta's exclusion from Barcelona's team for the 2006 Champions League Final, partly due to his lack of fitness following injury, hit him hard. He went up a gear from that point on though, and was a guaranteed regular from 2006/07 onwards. When Guardiola took charge in 2008, Iniesta got even better, and his performances were simply mesmerising at times. His unforgettable last-gasp strike in the 2009 Champions League semi-final against Chelsea saw them face United in the final, which Barca won 2-0. By this point he was a European Champion with Spain, and a year after his Champions League glory Iniesta would score the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup Final against Holland. It gained him undisputed legendary status. The magical attacking midfielder has won all there is to win in the game, and at 30, he still has plenty of years left in him yet. By the time he retires, he may well have usurped Xavi as Spain's greatest ever footballer.
